The Devil's Melody
by RaInAwAiTs
Summary: Mai meets a mysterious seven year old boy in the park who lives in an old mansion. That boy then suddenly disappears and it's up to the SPR to investigate. Oh, it goes downhill from there. Set when Naru comes back from England.
1. Prolouge: A cappella

The Devil's Melody

Mai walked out of the local grocery store with two bags full of snacks. Ever since Naru and Lin returned to England, she felt lonely, even though the rest of the SPR keep in touch with her once in a while. Everyone went their ways. She hated to admit that Naru's business kept everyone together. Mai confessed to Naru that she loves him but he simply rejected her by saying that she was actually in love with his _dead_ brother. 'Naru, you are a moron. A _dense_ moron.' She never saw Gene in her dreams after everyone found his body in the lake.

As Mai passed by the park, she saw a boy sitting by himself in the swings. 'What is a boy like him doing here this late?' She paused. 'Oh, I'm a hypocrite. Who would walk all the way to the store to buy snacks at eleven thirty at night?'

Mai wanted to distract herself from her terrifying dreams about a man with eyes full of bloodlust. He would say things like 'You don't know what I think!' and his voice would warp into something inhuman. She had a lack of sleep for the past week and never told anyone about it.

"What are you doing here? Where are your parents?" She asked with a smile hoping not to scare him off.

He turned to her with his gray eyes in a downcast. "They are at home… asleep."

Mai raised her eyebrows. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be asleep too?"

The boy looked at her in the eye. "It is scary in my house. I only stay here until I think they are gone."

He is about seven or eight years old. They were silent for a bit. "What did your parents think about it?"  
"Mama doesn't like me as much and Papa didn't believe me." Mai couldn't help but think she is a little nosy yet he trusted her.

"When you are scared again, I'll be here, ok?" She grinned when he cracked a smile.

"Is it alright if I call you Nee-chan?"

"Ok, what is your name? I'm Taniyama Mai."

"Nakano Minoru." He said in a soft voice.

"If you call me Nee-chan, I'll you Min-kun."

-x-

Every night, they met each other in the park. Minoru slowly opened up to her. She would walk him home when he is not sad or frightened anymore. It turned into a habit. The boy actually lives in a huge mansion which made Mai's jaw drop at first. Several times she heard someone speaking to her in a hushed whisper after Minoru went in. It would feel like that person is right next to her but when she looked, there was no one.

"What are you afraid of?" She said one night.

Minoru swung himself, trying to calm himself down. "I would hear voices around me. My door would open and close but no one is there. I could hear someone in the hallway. I'm scared, Nee-chan."

Mai's eyes widened and found herself hugging the boy. His body shivered as his eyes gleamed with unshed tears. 'There may be some paranormal activity happening in his house but what am I going to do? Everyone else is busy.'

She decided to change the subject. "What is your favorite thing to do, Min-kun?"

He had a little smile although his hands shook. "I play the violin. Maybe I'll play it for you, Nee-chan."

-x-

Mai sighed remembering the beautiful music Minoru could play. 'He really brought his violin with him. I didn't know he was so talented but as he played it sounded a bit sad.'

She wanted to check the office that the SPR used to be and where she used to work at. After school, she headed towards it. A van passed by as she thought about figuring out what is going on. Mai unconsciously went to the door outside the building.

She closed her eyes. How she missed them. 'There are still cases that need to solved. What is going to happen now?'

"Stop standing there like an idiot, Mai." A voice breathed behind her.

She jumped up from shock and turned around. Brown eyes met blue.

The van is in the background as she saw boxes piled up on the sidewalk. "Naru!" She hugged him by the waist, letting her tears spill. "I missed you." She didn't think that he heard her since she was muffled by his coat. Naru was strangely silent as she cried in his chest. Lin looked out from the van with a smirk. After a minute, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"You are getting my clothes wet." She stopped for a second. Anger surged through her when she separated from him and wave a fist. "Stupid, narcissistic Naru!"

"I'm not the stupid one here. Mai, tea." He said calmly and went inside the office. Mai thought that she heard a chuckle from him. 'Nah, must be my imagination… Wait, stupid one?'

"NARU!"

* * *

**Well, how is it? It is short because I want it to be short. The other chaps will be even more satisfying. Don't forget to review or I'll haunt you!**

**-Ja Ne**


	2. Calm Before The Storm

Calm Before the Storm

She ended up being an assistant for Shibuya Psychic Research again. Naru's reason for coming back is that there are more paranormal activity in Japan. Lin didn't buy it and said it was because of a certain someone even though he doesn't know it. Mai scratched her head. 'Who could that be? Masako? That's got to be it!' She didn't think that it is her since he hates her. She wanted to lie on the couch in depression.

Her thoughts then went to the boy and how to tell her boss about him. 'I don't think his parents would allow us to investigate if they don't believe in anything paranormal. We would just be breaking and entering.'

Said boss interviewed the potential client in the room with a cup of tea in his hand. He sighed before shaking his head. "There's no supernatural activity going on in your school. It could potentially be leaky pipes and a weak foundation since it has been used for years."

"Oh, thanks for your time." The student left the office as Naru had a blank face on.

Mai decided not to tell him since she already answered her own thoughts. She felt her vision clouding.

_There is a room filled with toys with a big bed in the middle. A man is in front of the window. The moonlight behind him made him appear like a shadow. He had big eyes that belonged to a beast. His voice kept changing that Mai doesn't know his identity. It sounded as if the man is underwater._

"Mai." His voice broke through her daze. "Did you get enough sleep?"

She bet that he noticed the bags under her eyes and the constant yawning. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. She didn't want to say 'I had a random dream about a man who looked insane.' It would either confuse him or he would say that you gone paranoid because you didn't work on a case for two months.

"I was tired from studying for days because I had exams today. It's finally over." Mai said with yawn to emphasize her point.

Naru lost interest though she didn't notice the look of suspicion on his face. "Organize the files in the box and put it in the cabinet. Try not to pass out." He went into his office and shut the door.

-x-

Minoru wasn't on the swings as usual and she was relived that something scary didn't happen to him. She was about to walk away when she heard a faint murmur coming from under the slide.

She checked underneath to find him curled up in a ball trembling. Mai sat down on the mulch and tried to comfort him by smoothing out his hair. "Min-kun? What's the matter?"

He noticed her and cried as tears ran down his cheeks. "M-mama said she hates me and that I am a brat from another woman. I went to b-bed like Papa told me then he yelled at her. After I slept, I w-woke up like before because of the noises. I saw a person next to my bed so pretended to sleep. He said in an evil voice, 'This is what you deserve.' When I opened my eyes, he was gone. I don't want to go back to my room so I ran away."

"Are your parents still at home?" He nodded and she carried him out of there. "I should get you home but you need to go to your Mama and Papa. They wouldn't appreciate someone like me going in."

"Why? I don't want to go in. Everyone is asleep anyway." He began to cry again.

They arrived at the front of the mansion. The porch itself was empty except a rocking chair that squeaked when the wind blew. "I'll go with you then." She said as she put him down. He hid behind her immediately.

"Nee-chan, please, don't leave me h-here." He whispered. Before she tried to ring the doorbell, the door opened, revealing a butler. "What do you want this hour?"

When he saw the frightened boy, his expression changed. "Minoru-sama, how could you be outside this late? Do you know how worried I was?"

The boy was silent so Mai decided to answer for him. "Min-k-He was outside because he is afraid of something in his room."

"I see." The butler seemed to be nervous and showed a look of concern. "Thank you. Come in Minoru-sama, I'll get you something to eat." He grabbed his hand towards the door. The boy struggled in his grasp before getting pulled inside.

"Bye."

"Thank you again." Minoru gave a pleading look to Mai before the door closed.

She stared at the door. 'The butler is scared as well. What's going on?' She finally started walking until she felt someone's breath on her ear. Mai froze with fear and slowly looked behind her. There is nobody at sight.

'I have a bad feeling about this.' She thought, resisting the urge to run as fast as she could.

-x-

Mai didn't get any sleep worrying about Minoru. She continued to file papers for the always busy, always working-you-to-death boss. There was a knock at the door and she smiled to herself. She didn't hide the shock when she saw the same butler from last night.

"You from before." He said with surprise.

She nearly stuttered as she replied. "Oh, I work here."

"Is Shibuya-san in? I know I didn't make an appointment, but this is urgent."

Mai bit her lip. "Please sit down. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please."

She went to Naru's door. "We have a client that wishes to see you. He doesn't have an appointment. I can tell it's very important."

When she heard him shuffle in the room, Mai walked to the kitchen, smiling that she will find out what's scaring Min-kun.

Naru had a clipboard in hand. She put the cups of tea on the table between them. He studied the man who was in his fifties and unusually pale.

"My name is Saitou Tsubasa. I will represent my master, Nakano Satoru-sama." Pen hit paper as he wrote.

"There had been many occurrences happening in the mansion that we lived in. There were people talking when there is no one in the room. At night, you could see a strange figure walking through the hallways. His son was actually very scared at night and would run away and come back afterwards." Mai tried to look innocent.

"There are noises in the attic. One of our maids got locked up in there. That poor girl was mentally torn up and quit. Satoru-sama didn't believe in anything until he saw the apparition himself."

Mai sipped her drink. Naru filled almost half the page. He knew about Mai. 'Little master smiled more and talked about his 'Nee-chan.'

The black clothed boss pondered for a while reading the information. "We'll investigate."

"I will go. Thank you."

-x-

Yasuhara and Mai stared at the mansion with equipment in their hands. "Wow." He said in awe.

'I never went inside before.' There was a large staircase. An extravagant chandelier hung above them, making her feel like she doesn't even belong there. The atmosphere in the building crushed her but she shrugged it off.

Everyone is there except Masako and Ayako who are going to come the next day. Ayako had things to take care of in the hospital. Masako is flying here from Tokyo.

"Your rooms are going to be this way." Tsubasa said leading them through the corridor on the right. The base is going to be in one of the studies. The group is going to sleep in the three guest rooms next to it.

"Master will see you in a moment. If you would like you could look around the house." The butler left and someone came in.

Mai could see someone bouncing up and down in her peripheral vision. "Nee-chan!" Minoru had a toy car in his hand. "We can play together now!"

"Min-kun!"

Everyone in the room watched them in confusion. Mai explained how they met and the things the boy told her.

Naru glanced at the boy and back to her. "You could have told me. I was beginning to think you have dreams again or maybe you are just paranoid."

'Knew it.' She laughed nervously. He glared at her intensely. "What else do you have to tell me, Mai?"

She decided to spill it. It's no use knowing that she can't escape from the conversation. "I had the same dream for the past week about a crazy looking man saying things I can't understand." The assistant said all in one breath.

"So you _did _have dreams…" The atmosphere went down a few degrees. Her eyes didn't meet his face fearing that she will turn to stone from his glare.

"We need more information." John said sensing the tension in the air. Minoru snickered from his accent.

Naru agreed. "Brown-san and Takigawa-san set up the cameras while Mai record the temperatures with them. Lin, Yasuhara-san, and I will research this house at base."

"What about me?" Minoru said with excitement.

Naru stared at him before sighing. "Make sure Mai doesn't do anything stupid."

"Hey! Don't insult me, Naru!" She fumed as Takigawa and John dragged her out of the room. Minoru was at their heels trying to calm Mai down.

-x-

"That narcissistic, moronic, stupid, mean, evil, idiotic…JERK!" Mai yelled, quickly cooling off.

John's sweat dropped and Minoru was busy with his toy car. "Umm…the camera is on." Takigawa said pointing at the light indicating that it is recording.

She blushed and wrote down the temperature of the room.

John pulled out the radio. "Any particular room we need to keep an eye on?"

"The boy's room, hallways, and the attic." Lin answered.

-x-

A man and a woman sat across from Naru. The woman had an irritated expression. Lin had his laptop out typing which is the only sound in the room.

"Our son and employees complained about things going on in the house. I saw it when I was wandering the hallways at night. It simply smiled at me with a bloody knife in hand. It said, 'You are going to lose him soon.' And he disappeared after I blinked."

The butler is standing by the door. His wife glared at Naru. "I can't believe this! This is a waste of time!"

She hurriedly stomped out the door. "Wait… My lady!" Tsubasa's voice faded into the background.

Satoru didn't make an effort to follow her. "I'm sorry. Ayane is acting pretty short tempered since we moved in. Excuse me but I have to see her." He left as Lin snapped the laptop shut.

"We won't know what is going on until Hara-san arrives." Yasuhara said fingering an old book.

The rest of the group came in. "The kid's room is normal but the attic door won't budge. There is no key hole or anything." Takigawa scratched his head. "We left the camera nearby though. John is hurt."

John winced as Mai tried to bandage his hand. "I touched the knob and it burned my hand. Whatever it is doesn't want us in there."

Minoru worryingly stared at John, who ruffled his hair with his good hand. "I'm fine."

"There is definitely something on the attic." Naru said pacing towards the screens that show each room.

They didn't notice a maid by the door. "It's time for dinner."

The whole group went to the dining room. The boss made sure the base is locked so no one will tamper with the equipment.

Mai and Minoru chattered as they waited for the food to be ready. He had a teddy bear on his lap. It had a little red bow tie around its neck. "This is my friend Beary-san. Beary-san meet Nee-chan." He made the bear wave at her.

Giggling, Mai shook hands with it. "Nice to meet you, Beary-san."

He hugged it with a smile. "This is the only friend that reminds me of Mama." She nodded before seeing how many people are here.

She noticed that Satoru and Ayane are not seated. 'That's strange. Maybe they are fighting again.'

"Tea, Mai." Naru said causing her to remember that he sat by her.

Mai turned red in anger. "You got to be kidding me!" She hopped up her chair and headed for the kitchen.

'Geez…that Naru. He got even more annoying since he came back.'

Minoru turned to Takigawa who is tapping his fork impatiently. "Why does Nee-chan and Naru-san fight?"

The monk laughed a little. "It's their way of flirting."

He tilted his head. "What does that mean?"

Takigawa glanced at Naru and instantly regretted it. He heard the whole thing and shot daggers at him by eye contact. 'Eep.'

He then focused on the innocent seven year old completely oblivious from the two. "I'll tell you when you're older."

* * *

**Am I rushing this story a bit? Is this chap a little boring?**

**Min-kun is kawaii! **

**Thank you for reading. **


	3. One Day of Chaos

One Day of Chaos

After a long dinner, Mai felt her eyes droop. 'We should be cautious. This is around the time that the ghost is most active.' She didn't notice the seven year old behind.

"Can I sleep in your room?" Minoru said yawning. Mai jumped from shock.

His sleepy stare instantly made her shock fade away. 'Awww…' Mai thought.

She nodded in a daze. John had a look of concern. "Are you and Minoru-kun going to be ok? You are the only girl in our group right now. Nobody else can share a room with you two. We can't protect you if something happens."

"Eh… Don't worry, John-san. Our room is close by." Mai smiled cheerfully. In the inside, she is uneasy.

"Good night." The priest said before going into his room.

There were three beds in the room. Mai took the one in the middle while the boy took the one closest to the window and the farthest away from the door.

He hugged his bear. "My parents don't mind. Oji-san doesn't either."

"Oji-san."

"The person who takes care of me, cleans the house, and makes sure there's food on the table."

"You mean the butler?"

"Yeah." He smiled warmly.

Mai stared at the ceiling, drowsiness taking over. "Sleep well, Min-kun."

"Don't forget to say good night to Beary-san." He said in a soft voice.

"'Night, Beary-san."

"Good night, Nee-chan."

She didn't notice her eyes are already closed.

-x-

_Mai opened her eyes to see her surroundings completely black. "Huh?"_

"_Long time no see." A figure materialized next to her._

_She hugged him. Tears threatened to fall but she managed to hold it in. "Gene! It's good to see you again." She paused and stared up at him._

"_How could you be back here? Shouldn't you move on? Is there something wrong? What's going on?" Her voice rose higher as questions rushed out of her mouth._

"_Calm down. I'm here to help you like always." She rolled her eyes at his foolishness. "I have something to do first and I can't leave it as it is. That depends. You are dreaming." He answered as a matter of factly. 'He is the exact opposite of his twin brother.' Mai sweat dropped, wondering how they get along. "How is my idiot brother treating you?"_

"_The usual."_

_Gene crossed his arms. "If I were alive, I would slap him upside the head. I could talk to him but his mind is full of work this and work that. How does he fit anything else in there?" Mai stifled her laughter._

"_So what do you have to do to move on?"_

_He tsked and waggled his finger. "What is the fun in that? It's my little secret." The scene changed into the house. Everything is dark except the outline of each room. He motioned her to follow him. She giggled as she saw the Monk in a strange position snoring. John was covering his ears with his pillow. Yasuhara was asleep with his head on a random book. Naru and Lin are still awake with the glare of the screens lighting up their faces. She sighed, 'Do they ever get some sleep?'_

"_There are many spirits here…" She commented as balls of light float past her._

_He stopped in mid-step and bent his head back towards the ceiling. Mai didn't notice and bumped into him. "Be careful. Don't go anywhere near the attic." She looked at the ceiling, purple mist blocked her view._

"_It's dark and sinister. He hurt John." A chill went down her spine. "Why didn't I feel that earlier?"_

"_Exactly. He is hiding waiting for the right moment to strike. This guy is not your average, run-of-the-mill kind of spirit." She stayed silent. "Don't underestimate him, Mai."_

"_Anything else I need to look out for?"_

_He pointed at the end of the hallway where a big window is. "Her." She noticed a beautiful woman appearing out of thin air. Her dark hair blocked some of her face. The woman's glowing eyes struck fear to Mai causing her to hold his arm with an iron grip. Gene paid no mind and continued to have a stare off with her. "What do you want?" A repulsive smile twisted her face. Mai could hear her breaths echoing and it drove her nuts. She couldn't tell who screamed but then she realized that it was her._

"_Mai!" His eyes suddenly widen as they were hit with a sense of dread coming from her direction. "The boy… Mai wake up! Go back!" He disappeared like smoke. "Watch your back! No matter what…tell my brother…" His voice whispered like the wind._

"_Gene!"_

_Everything faded but Mai could hear the ghost laughing in a distance._

_-x-_

As she woke up, her hand automatically went to her head because her head ached. She heard footsteps nearing towards her and panicked. "Are you ok?" Mai opened her eyes. When she saw Naru's violet blue eyes staring down at her, she blushed. 'This is not the time!'

"I'm fine…" Her eyes darted around the room.

"Why did you scream then?" She ignored him, figuring out what Gene was talking about.

Lin was leaning by the doorway. She glanced to her right, and gasped. "Where's Minoru?" His bear was the only thing on the bed.

"One second you were sleeping peacefully, the next the screen went blank. You were screaming right after that." Lin answered, breathlessly.

Her hands covered her face. Images of the woman went through her mind. 'Min-kun…' "We got to look for him!" She yelled as she jumped out of the bed. Naru grabbed her wrist. "Let go! He must be scared. I need to look for him!"

Naru didn't budge. "Mai, no one passed this hallway." He paused, letting go of her and walked to the window. He stared out into the darkness and pulled on it which didn't move.

"It's locked. There is no way someone could get out of this room by the window and lock it. Look under the beds." He commanded as he opened the closet door.

She searched but had no luck. 'It is as if he vanished.' Naru came out and shook his head.

"What are we going to do?" She said as worry is the only thing in her mind.

"Wake Takigawa-san, Yasuhara-san, and Brown-san up. Whatever is in this house is not shy after all." Mai ran out the door.

-x-

The group gathered around in the base. Most of them had glum looks on their faces. Mai felt the worst. She was in the same room as him and she couldn't even help him. Lin told the boy's parents about his disappearance but they just shrugged it off saying that ran away. She wanted to give them a piece of her mind while the monk tried to keep her from doing anything stupid.

She closed her eyes sitting on the sofa. It was deathly quiet in the room. Everyone was wide awake waiting for their boss to speak.

"_No matter what…tell my brother…"_ It suddenly came into her head. 'I wonder what happened.'

His back was to her while he typed on the computer. "Umm… Naru."

He shifted on his chair not bothering to turn to face her. She assumed it was an answer. "I had a dream. I almost forgot about it… Gene…he's in it."

Naru whirled around with a strange look on his face. Everyone's attention was on her. "What is he doing in there?"

"There's something he had to do…but that's beside the point!" Naru's emotionless mask returned. She explained her dream, skipping the conversation about Naru.

"So we are dealing two spirits in here, huh?" The monk said stretching his arms.

She paused, having a feeling that there are more to deal with. "I don't think so…"

"Yasuhara-san, research what Mai mentioned. There might be some information in the other study. Brown-san, go with him."

"Roger, big boss." He saluted before leaving with John.

'Did we just forget about Min-kun?' Mai is frustrated and angry. "Naru! Are we giving up?!"

"We have no leads to where he might vanish to. The front and back doors are locked, the cameras didn't pick up anything, and we are left in the dark of what kind of spirits they are."

"The mansion is huge. It's hide-and-seek paradise." Yasuhara added before receiving a glare from Naru.

"What about the attic?"

"You said so yourself. It's off-limits until Hara-san and Matsuzaki-san arrive."

"We have to look for him!" Mai glanced at the monk for help but he shook his head.

"Can't you see that none of us can do anything until we know exactly what to do?"

She turned red with anger. "But still, Min-kun is alone and scared." She could tell that she is losing but refused to give in.

He had a file in his hand. He didn't speak leaving Mai fuming. Takigawa was holding her shoulders to keep her from beating him up.

"That's a little harsh, Naru-chan." He turned and glared at him.

"Mai, tea. Takigawa, keep an eye on her." Mai scoffed.

"Do you want some tea Lin-san?"

No, thank you."

She forced a smile as she stomped out the door with him following her.

After a few moments, Naru sighed and stood up. Lin eyed him as he went to the door. "What are you doing…Noll?"

He didn't move and kept his hand on the handle. "I'm going to look around the house. You stay here."

"No… You have to take me with you. I need to protect you."

He scowled. "I don't need any help. There would be no one at base if something happens." He turned it, pushing the door open.

"Either I leave base or you don't go anywhere. Make your choice." He sternly said.

He glared at his partner darkily. "That's stupid."

He was unaffected by him. "Are you worried about the boy too? Or is it because you don't want her to be in danger?" Lin questioned. 'I don't care about her.' He nearly said out loud but he didn't.

"…"

"It's both. Admit it. I've known you since you were a kid. Don't even say that it isn't true."

He growled at the older man. "I was going to check the attic that everyone was talking about." He said bitterly.

"You might get yourself killed."

"I won't."

"You will, since you can't handle your PK."

"You..." The other man smirked knowing he won.

He reluctantly went back to his seat. Naru growled picking up the file. Lin chuckled, but in the back of his mind he worries about the child.

"You must care for Taniyama-san."

"There must be something wrong with your head, Lin."

-x-

"Mai… They are concerned but they don't want to voice it out. We are also exhausted and we need to go back to sleep." The monk reassured as she waited for the water boil intently. There was no one in the kitchen.

"Yes…but…."

"We aren't going anywhere if we don't know what's going on. Naru-chan was right…well…he's right about everything…" Takigawa put a hand through his hair. 'Great... that's no help mentioning about the guy.' She still stared at the kettle.

'I'm not going to get anything through that girl…' He ruffled her hair. "You know a watched pot never boils…" 'Eh...no response. sigh.' He shook her head a little with a hand to get her attention.

"Oh…sorry Bou-san."

"We are going to find him."

"Thanks." She smiled.

"Naru is just being Naru. Remember that."

Mai nodded and the whistle surprised her from her stupor. He put his forehead on a cupboard. 'She may be a zombie right now, that's for sure. Inside, she's cursing Naru...and depressed because of the boy.'

"Let's go, Bou-san." She already was about to turn the light switch off.

"Oh...sorry."

They walked down the hallway with a cup of tea in her hands. Mai shivered as they stumbled through the dark with only the moon lighting the way. It was cold enough to see their breaths. The heat of the cup warmed her up. "It's really cold in here even before we went to the kitchen."

Takigawa felt like there is something going on. The paintings around them creep him out. "Yeah."

Each corridor has two thick doors which are always open so they can walk around without much effort. The exited the hallway and found the foyer where they first entered. The whole room itself is large enough to be a ballroom. It is awfully quiet except the sound of their footsteps which echoed. Not a light is on and the second floor is pitch black. The crystals glittered in the chandelier from the moonlight. Large windows were on one side of the wall, showing the front yard.

"It's different in the mansion if the lights are off."

"I agree." She clutched the cup enough so it doesn't break.

There was movement in the corner of her eye. They stopped at the center of the room right under the chandelier. "Bou-san did you see that?" She whispered afraid to speak.

"Yes, I did." He went into a stance. Mai looked around facing the staircase. 'There's something here…'

She squinted to see if there is anything in the dark areas of the room. "We have cameras in this room, right?"

He eyed the one up on the second floor looking down at them. "Only one…"

They caught movement below them. It was a shadow from a figure behind them where the windows are. Mai froze in fear not wanting to turn around. The monk spun around seeing a shadow outside of a window with its hands on the glass. It left frosted imprints on it and it ran past all the windows before it disappeared in a black fog.

"Oh…my…kami…" Mai stuttered while her legs are paralyzed. It wasn't over yet. All the doors slammed shut even the double doors leading to the corridors. It made a large booming sound. They have no way to escape and no where hide.

Takigawa went in front of Mai as she dropped the teacup on the marble floor with a crash. "You are going to be ok." He said in a soothing voice, putting his hands in a circle. There was purple mist coming from the second floor.

"Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan…" He chanted. The chandeliers and doors rattled as he continued. Her attention was focused on the haze.

The mist formed into a human-like creature. Instead of purple, it is a shadow that had large red eyes and small pupils. Its mouth formed into a permanent lopsided grin. Its arms are long enough to touch the ground and had long finger like claws. The image of the creature flickered.

"_**Don't leave me here. There's no one with me!**__**" **_It sounded like vulnerable voice, wavering between a young man to a growl. It got angrier and angrier. _**"DON'T HURT ME!"**_

Mai put her hands on her throat, finding that she can't even utter a word. She could hear someone viciously try_ing to open the doors on her right. "Mai!" Naru was on the other side of them. _

The monk was hit with an invisible force. "Oof." He landed a few feet away with a thud nearly hitting his head on a grandfather clock.

"Naru!" Her voice managed to scream.

It didn't move still flickering in and out of existence. The minute hand on the clock landed on the twelve and its chimes caught her by surprise. She breathed in, realizing she was holding her breath.

The creature vanished completely. The doors clicked simultaneously before opening slowly like nothing happened...

* * *

A/N

Hehe, cliffhanger... Some of you could be saying, "You already made whatever this thing they are investigating appear in the third chapter! Darn u!!!"

Don't worry. It is only the beginning...there are plenty more where that came from... muhaha!

(in my head) Nnnooo!!! I'm sworry Min-kun. I'll give u a lollipop after the story...lolz


	4. Feeling The Rush

Feeling the Rush

Naru sighed, watching the screen with a bored look. 'When are they coming back? I want my tea already.' He is already in a bad mood from the conversation he had with Lin earlier.

"Noll, The temperature in the foyer and the second floor dropped down to two degrees."

He checked where every single one of them are. Yasuhara and John are still reading old books in the study which is in the opposite side of the mansion. Mai and Takigawa are in the foyer that Lin mentioned. The two are wildly looking around the room.

'Mai could never go somewhere without running into trouble.' Naru groaned. "The two just stumbled in there."

He dashed out of the chair before Lin could even speak. He concentrated on running. Lin was right behind him. "Naru, my shiki are telling me that there is something foul nearby."

The two met the door in the hallway to the entrance. They can hear rapping sounds followed by a scream. Lin turned the knobs yet it didn't move. He strained to hear anything. "Mai!" Naru tried kicking the door down but had no luck.

There was an 'oof' and then they heard a thud. "Naru!" His assistant shrieked.

A sound came from the grandfather clock and everything calmed down. The doors creaked open slowly. The two were met with chilling cold air from the room. The monk is unconscious on the hard cold floor. Mai's knees buckled under her, gazing at the top of the stairs.

Naru caught her arm and steadied her until she can stand. Lin checked Takigawa making sure he didn't get injured too badly. He stirred immediately putting a hand on his shoulder, hissing in pain.

"This is going hurt in the morning." He said through his teeth as he gently rolled his shoulder. "That thing meant business!"

Mai was visibly shaken from the whole ordeal. "What happened?"

She and the monk summarized the things they want through and what they saw. A silent moment later, Naru put a hand under his chin thinking. "It is problematic right in the start... "

He sighed, watching the girl and then inspected the poor shattered tea cup on the floor. "Let's go back to base. Mai… next time don't drop a perfectly nice cup of tea on the floor." Lin thought he saw a ghost of a smile on his face as he passed by. "That's a waste." He left the three in the room with her twitching.

Takigawa had to keep her at bay from murdering their boss. "Dammit, you narcissistic, Naru. Get your own tea then! We almost got hurt seriously because of your stupid tea addiction!" She waved her fist around hitting the wall next to her.

"Mai…" She blinked; the monk had a pink mark on the side of his face. The wall was actually him.

"Oops…sorry Bou-san."

'She's back to normal.' Lin thought, seeing her childish ranting. 'Mai… I don't think you know that he actually said it to cheer you up.'

-x-

"This may end up like the Urado case…" The monk stretched on the sofa, wincing from the bruise forming on his back.

"Yes, we know it's a strong poltergeist but we don't have a lot of information on this." Naru rubbed his temple.

"The spirits just angry, isn't it?" She said in a soft voice. Mai sat cross legged with Takigawa's hoodie warming her up. It was big on her so she rolled its sleeves up.

"Yes…"

John and Yasuhara returned from the study. John carefully carried two thick books and some papers on one hand.

"Boss, there may be some things in here that will surprise you."

He took the papers and books. He flipped a page of the discolored book. "These are photo albums from fifty years ago."

They gathered around him. There were mostly pictures of a mansion, a handsome-looking man, and other people who are in his family. It ranged from eating dinner to a funeral.

Yasuhara pointed to the words under each picture. "That guy's name is… Kobayashi Kenji."

They continued to look through the photo album. Naru turned to the family picture which is in the back of the book. It had many children and adults but a few caught their eye. All the way to the right, a young woman had straight hair that went down to her shoulder blades. She had a soft smile but her eyes didn't show it. An older man was the one to the far left. He, who appeared to be in his sixties, is the only one that had a stern frown on his face as he stood next to the younger man seen in almost every picture. In between the man and the woman with straight hair are Kenji and a lady in her twenties. He had a big grin on his face with an arm around her. The beautiful woman had dark, waist-length hair and an identical grin.

"T-that's her!" Mai almost lost her balance recognizing the woman from her dream. "She's the one in my dream."

They widened their eyes at her except for Naru and Lin. Naru gritted his teeth in frustration because he can't read it that well. "I'm guessing those are names on the bottom."

"Yes. The one next to Kenji is Hidayama Yumiko. The other woman is Miyagi Saika. Those two are the only ones who are not part of the Kobayashi family. The man with a serious face is Taji, who is the head of the household as they say."

"That's not all." He grabbed one of the papers and put it on the table. "These are some newspaper clippings I found on a shelf."

It showed a picture of the mansion again and also a picture of her. "It stated that the she committed suicide to escape from being turned in by the family. You see, that woman is famous for stealing thousands of yen. Her real name is actually Hidaka Yumiko. A thief… It states that she made Kenji fall in love with her to get the inheritance he is going to have." Yasuhara explained. Mai thinks it wasn't the case. 'In the picture, she was happy.'

"How did she commit suicide?"

"By jumping out the third story window…"

Naru put his finger under his chin thinking. "There's more to this than I thought…"

-x-

Naru, Lin, and Takigawa decided to let Mai sleep at base. It is now one in the morning and it is officially two hours since Minoru's disappearance.

Mai stared up at the light on the ceiling. Her head was propped on a pillow. 'When they say, 'Go to bed, Mai.' doesn't mean I will sleep on command.'

Naru and Lin are typing away. The rest of the group called it a night and will continue to research when they have a proper nights sleep.

'I feel useless. I am the one who always needs protecting. That's no fair.' She faced the back of the couch with a blanket covering her from the lights of the computers. 'Well, the only thing I can do is dream…'

Mai wanted to bang her head on something. 'Ugh! I'm the weakest one… does Yasuhara count? No, forget it…'

Her thoughts went back to a certain boy. 'I hope he's okay…Please be...' She drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

-x-

_In a room, somewhere. There is nobody and nothing there. It would remind someone of a square crate since there are no windows or doors. It is completely empty no furnitureAll you would hear are murmurs and whispers. 'Where am I? It's dark... I'm scared…. What did she do to me? I can't move... I need to escape… I need to get out… Where's Nee-chan?'_

**Day 2**

"Mai…" Naru poked the girl on the couch with a pen. It was the third attempt to wake her up. He glimpsed at the girl's cute face and tousled brown hair. She slept in a weird position with one leg on the top of the couch, her arm hanging down. She would be close to falling off if he hadn't maneuvered her back on the pillow. His mouth twitched a smile. "You are so naïve."

His emotionless mask is back, hearing footsteps outside. "Naru-chan, don't you want any breakfast?" Takigawa yelled followed by John and Yasuhara. John wheeled in a cart full of plates of pancakes, eggs and bacon, and other things you can name of. There was a large teapot and several cups on the lower part of it. The girl on the sofa sniffed before slowly opening her eyes. The rest didn't notice.

Lin came to the cart, inspected it for a second, and took a bagel and a cup of tea, before sitting back down on the computer chair. Everyone stared at the man as he took a bite.

"Even Lin eats breakfast." Takigawa whispered.

A different butler was near the door. "You have a visitor."

"Who is it?"

"Hello, Noll!" A bubbly woman said popping her head from the door. Naru had a bad aura around him as his teacher gave him a friendly smile. She nearly skipped into the room and waved at Lin. The silent man acknowledged her presence by smiling a little. Naru on the other hand, glowered at her. "Madoka... How do you know where we are and why?"

"Is that how you greet me after I just came from a long airplane flight to get here?" She scolded, earning snickers in the background.

Mai stretched her arms and yawned. Everyone now turned their heads. "Ahh… breakfast. It smells great. Nice to see you again, Madoka."

Naru glared at no one in particular but his sights were on Mai. She wasn't sure to be nervous or laugh. 'What the heck did I do?'

"I came to check and make sure you are alright. Your parents are worried that you will turn into a rock. You never call or anything so I'll be part of the team."

"I'm not a rock." He rolled his eyes. "Take Yasuhara to research the history of this house."

"_Sure, but you just want to get rid of me_." She said in English, to make him remember. "_Don't be rude to people, Noll. You'll be a grumpy old man before you're twenty."_

Everyone had a confused look on their face except John and Lin. John chuckled. Naru continued to be in a bad mood. "Whatever."

"We'll be back before you know it."

The two left while the group ate breakfast at base. Naru sipped his tea still irritated. "Mai, Brown-san, and Takigawa-san, you will record the temperatures and walk through the house again. Lin and I will interview the maids."

"What will we look for, Shibuya-san?"

"Anything suspicious… or Nakano-san…" Naru sighed, not bothering to look at anyone's reaction. "It's still not a good idea to go to the attic. If something happens, then contact us immediately."

The three walked around as they had been told. "Twenty-two degrees Celsius…" Mai scribbled on the clipboard. John studied the paintings on the wall. Takigawa searched behind every door.

"Normal… like all the other rooms." She sighed, writing the room temperature for another room.

They are on the third floor, which was like a long straight hallway. From the stairs, on the opposite end is the door to the attic.

"They might as well put danger in big letters on the door." He laughed humorlessly.

Mai saw it in her dream when Gene led her through the hall. She turned around. There were more doors, but what caught her eyes is a huge window.

-x-

Naru stared down at the page. A woman in her thirties put her hands on her lap, staring at the tea cup in front of her with interest. "How long have you been in this house, Mikado-san?"

"I have been with Nakano-sama ever since I was a young girl. We have only been here for ten months and it's a shame of what happened recently."

"Did you have problems in this house?"

"Yes, Saitou-sempai must have mentioned about something but it is not all."

He hid his confusion. "Not all? What are they?"

"You see, none of the maids want to go out of their rooms at night. I would hear a man and woman outside of my room yet, they each talk on different days. Some of them are too scared and quit because of it."

"Did you hear what they are saying?"

The woman thought for a minute averting her eyes. "No, it is loud enough to be heard but not enough to be understood. That's all…"

"Do you know about the attic?"

Her eyes widened, tightening her grip on her skirt. "Not much. Everyone knows about Tanaka-san being locked in that attic. The best people to ask are Otsuka-san and Sayuki-san." She bit her lip, trying to think about what to say. "Oh, there's one thing I forgot to mention..."

-x-

The two noticed the expression on her face. It was a mixture of fear, determination, and excitement. She walked the hallway, getting closer to the window. 'What happened to Gene afterwards?'

"Where are you going, Mai-chan?" She touched the low sill, admiring the view. Below, there is a rock garden with various plants.

Mai closed her eyes briefly, before opening them. "This window is the one in my dream..."

That got their attention as they studied it. She noticed something under the window. 'H-hands.' Her eyes trailed down to who they are connected to. The woman sneered at her holding on to the window from the outside. Her dark hair is wild from the breeze. The pale skin made her appear like she came to life from a black and white photograph. The only color she had was something red on her face. Blood oozed down from her forehead, then down between her eyes. There is more of it flowing from the nape of her neck and stained her white dress crimson.

Mai screamed, her hands flew to her mouth.

"You will get what you deserve, bitch." Yumiko vanished. "Huh?" She turned around to see if the other two heard and gasped. The monk and the priest are frozen in time. Their eyes were on her yet they didn't move. Something caused her to be knocked off balanced. She began to stumble backwards. Everything that could happen in a second turned into something longer.

A black clad figure stood behind them and had a shocked look on his face moving towards her. 'Naru?' He stretched out his hand to grab her. _Shatter! _

The glass broke from her weight as she hit it hard. Naru didn't show that kind of expression. 'Wait…Or Gene?'

She plummeted rapidly towards the ground. Glass showered around her like tiny diamonds, cutting her skin. The wind rushed from below as she looked up at the sky and the broken window. He began to yell, calling her name. She couldn't hear him since the wind pounded in her ears.

Mai smiled up at him. She mouthed, "_Am I dreaming?_" before she landed on the rocks below.

* * *

I apologize for not updating sooner. Well had things to do... so yeah.

(Zipping up mouth so I don't say any spoilers)


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